Chasing the Lightning
by JDark
Summary: Captain Cold returns to Central City during a break from his mission with the Legends. He wants to meet the Flash and resume their cat and mouse game, but something goes wrong. Will he be able to find the Flash and help him? Set after E20 of the Flash (so, spoilers alert!).
1. Chapter 1

Security cameras disabled – check.

Vault open without tipping off the alarm system – neat job – check.

An Egyptian precious stone vase placed safely in the center of the room – check.

He moved in closer to study the piece of art. It was the right vase, the one he expected to find in the vault, but its appearance was slightly different. Although he held it in his hands only a couple of days ago, now it looked aged. Its metal surfaces were all fogged, and the intricate red jasper designs lost some of their luster. It did not make the vase any less beautiful, though. Quite to the contrary, the passage of time gave it the charm of an ancient relic. He marveled at the fact that now it appeared much more organic, seamless, than it used to look in its pristine state.

He made a step back, satisfied. _Okay, all set for the grand reunion_ , he smirked.

Leonard Snart stood with his back to the open vault of the Central City Museum. He ruffled up the fur on his parka, adjusted his trusted cold gun in his hand, and shot it at the nearest glass exhibit case in the adjacent hall. The glass shattered, and the alarm system came alive. A high-pithed noise filled the room for a second, red lights flashing across the perimeter of the hall. And then it was quiet again. He began the countdown.

 _It should not take more than a minute_. He took a deep breath, and waited.

He was excited. And he did not feel the need to hide it. He had waited a long time for this encounter. He had been looking forward to it. He wanted to feel this thrill again.

Truth be told he could not really complain about the lack of adventure in his life. Actually, these past few months his life was far from dull. His mission with the Legends Team had provided him with an endless amount of excitement, danger and thrill. Still there was something amiss. There was this other kind of thrill he was used to, the one he craved now. And he knew only one person who could help him make up for that.

He loved Central City, and since he was back home for a while, he wanted to feel fully at home again, that meant getting back to his former life-style. So, he waited for the last key element for his happy-to-be-back-home equation.

His body tensed up in excitement when, true to his expectations, a familiar streak of yellow lightning zipped through the doorway across the hall. Aware of Leonard's presence the figure came to a halt. In the dimness of the hall and because of the distance between them, Leonard could not quite make out the man's features, but the speed and the trademark suit all in place, there was no doubt that it was the Flash. He smirked. _Finally_.

"Miss me?" Leonard drawled.

The Flash did not reply, and, as far as Leonard could tell, he just stood there silently, looking his way. He seemed more guarded than Len remembered.

"Put your weapon down and surrender," the Flash said at last, or more like deadpanned in his emotionless vibrating voice.

"You know, I envisioned a warmer welcome," Len said mockingly. He did not let it show, but he was getting nervous. Something was not right, he just could not figure out what.

"This is the last warning, surrender." The Flash was plainly dismissing his attempts to start their semi-friendly banter. It was disappointing. And there was this feeling of uneasiness. It was something about the Flash's posture, his words that were setting Leonard off. The Flash was acting strange, like he was not himself today.

"Would you drop that buzzling voice?" Len asked, ignoring the other man's demand.

If the Flash was determined to act cold, even though it was not his MO, he would gladly oblige him, but he would make him speak like a normal person first. Leonard hated his modulated voice, it had this weird echoing sound to it, but more than anything it was like some artificial machine voice, making it almost impossible to pick up any emotion it might contain. The Flash knew it and had not been using it with Leonard unless he was particularly pissed at him or they had an unwanted audience. _So, which was it now?_

"C'mon, what's wro.." Len started, when the figure jolted and vanished from his field of vision.

'Shit', Len thought. He flared his cold gun aimlessly, trying to create a shield around himself. It worked, the flash of lightning collided with the wall of ice instead of his jaw. _Under two seconds, hell…_ He had tactics, but if his reaction could not keep up...

The Flash was circling around his makeshift wall, thawing it.

"Scarlet, stop!" Len shouted. "Why are you being like this? Won't you at least talk to me?!"

The Flash stopped at that. Through the wall Len could make out the other man tilting his head to the side quizzically.

"What?" the Flash asked genuinely amazed, he even forgot to do his voice modulation. But he quickly recovered. "You criminals are really crazy these days", he remarked, back to his resonant voice.

At that moment a piece of the thinned wall crumbled down, revealing the Flash, who stood in front of Leonard, a few feet apart. For the first time today, he could see him clearly.

"I'm not here to talk; I don't console or reason with the criminals. I just stop them." The Flash announced, looking Leonard in the eyes. The Flash frowned, quirking an eyebrow, as he did not quite expect the astonished look the other man was giving him.

Len was lost for words. He stared at the man's face helplessly, jaw agape. He could not believe his eyes. The man standing before him was shorter, dark skinned, yet he wore the Flash suit. _Who?_ His mind was racing. _How can this be? This is wrong. Why?_ A sickening feeling settled in his gut. After a long moment he had finally managed the courage to ask the most vital question of the moment. He was scared to hear the answer, feared the possibility that he had already guessed the answer, but he just had to make sure.

"Who are you?" Leonard's voice came out a low whisper.

"I'm the Flash," the other man stated. "If you're new to the city just ask the Iron Heights' inmates about me".

"No…" he mouthed. _This can't be._

A flash of red and a strong punch that knocked the air out of his lungs were the last things he remembered before everything turned dark.

* * *

TBC

I've just watched E20 of the Flash, and the way it ended was really intense, so I wanted to explore how Captain Cold may react to this development if he knew.

Be prepared for some headcanon and (possibly) coldflash hints.


	2. Chapter 2

"Cisco, are you there?" Wally asked, fumbling with his com.

On his second try the static noise had given way, and at last he heard a familiar voice on the other end.

"Finally!" the engineer exclaimed. "I thought you've ditched your com again!"

"I never do that," the Flash protested.

It was the truth. The communication device in his cowl apparently had several modes, and Cisco had never actually got to give him a proper explanation on how the thing worked. He had it figured out more or less by now, but still occasionally he would push the wrong button, the fact that he could not see where he was pushing did not help either, and end up switching the com off instead of just ending the conversation. This was embarrassing. But, to be completely honest, there might have been a couple of times when he had done it on purpose.

"Sorry, I just..."

"Okay, I know, didn't feel like chatting with me. It's okay," Cisco sighed.

"Just make sure we know you're all right."

"Sure," he replied courtly.

From what he had gathered, Team Flash often debated their strategy en route and talked the Flash through it. It was something he needed to get used to. However, even when the Flash was not in any immediate danger, his team would still remain on air, just to keep Barry company. That was what Cisco was apparently attempting to do for Wally as well. To keep him company and, probably, to help him feel more welcome, so it would be easier for him to adjust to his new role within the team. Or maybe it was some kind of coping mechanism for Cisco - an attempt to help the team preserve some sense of normality and keep the things as close to what they had used to be as possible. Never quite the same, though.  
For Wally, however, these attempts were a constant reminder of the fact that he was not a part of the said team. Not yet, or maybe not ever. Despite Cisco's best efforts to sound energetic, their conversations were always a bit awkward. Wally knew that he should be less on guard around Cisco and the rest of the team and hated how sometimes his replies sounded unnecessary dry and distant. He was conscious of it, but could not help it.

He felt like he was not the one who was supposed to be on this end of the com. Like he was an intruder, or even worse – a fraud. The bitter part was that it was exactly how he felt it was. Team Flash was still struggling to process what had happened to Barry, needed time to heal and come to terms with their new reality, and yet the circumstances had forced them, Wally included, to march forward.

He was forced to replace the person who was immensely important to everyone on the team. And he might never even be able to measure up to that person. Wally knew, this new arrangement was a necessity, but at the same time he and the team found it equally hard to keep their feelings in check and perform their duty, as their sense of responsibility towards Central City demanded.

"So, how did it go?" Cisco asked.

"The first call turned out to be just some punks vandalizing a car. A policeman happened to be nearby, so by the time I showed up he had already apprehended them."

"Good! So, then you went straight for the museum?" Cisco inquired.

"That's right. I go there and find this really weird thief. The guy seemed genuinely disappointed that I skipped the introductions. Can you imagine that?" Wally relayed, excited to discuss the strange encounter.

"Hn," Cisco smirked, amused at Wally's eagerness to talk.

"Like who'd chat with the criminals like that?" Wally snorted. "I mean, clearly he was doing something illegal there. Trying to steal something from the vault, I guess. But there were no hostages or anything, so like nothing to negotiate about, right?"

"Yeah," Cisco said, encouraging him to go on, although there was a hint of worry in his voice, which Wally dismissed.

"Like he was there just to get the attention. I mean, jeez..." Wally shook his head in disapproval.

Central City seemed to be full of some creeps who, apparently, were criminals just for the heck of it. They either wanted to make a show, craved the attention or just loved the chase.

"I think he would've talked to him. Barry would," Cisco said quietly.

Wally fell silent for a moment, letting the words sink in. He had discovered yet another reason to respect Barry, he realized. The sheer amount of patience Barry must had had to deal with these guys day in and day out was amazing.

"Did Barry really do that? You know, always talked to them?"

"He did," Cisco admitted. "I think he believed that he could talk them out of whatever crime they were about to commit. Sometimes it actually worked."

"I don't know," Wally drawled skeptically. "Isn't it just like spoiling them? No surprise that eventually they end up doing whatever crimes they do just to get the Flash's attention."

"It's not like that," Cisco defended. "Most of them do their best to avoid the Flash, you know. And those who did confront him, well, I don't think most of them did it voluntarily. Don't forget about all those metas, who were forced to work for Zoom," Cisco paused, gasping. "Man, do you think he's back?!"

Wally shivered at the thought, but he willed himself to calm down. The threat of Zoom was still looming over them. It was very much real. But this time it was not the case or so it appeared. And he was more than willing to believe it.

"No," Wally said thoughtfully. To further assure Cisco, he added. "The museum guy wasn't after my life. I think... It's strange, he didn't come across all that hostile either. He had a gun, so, probably, not a meta, and..."

"A gun?"

"Yeah, it shot ice? or I don't know, umm, something that froze things."

"Dude..."

"What?"

"No way... I think Captain Cold is back in the city."

"Who?"

"Oh, that's... ohh".

Wally recalled hearing this alias before, but he didn't remember any major accidents involving the man, so did he really mean trouble, like Cisco's reaction suggested? He dealt with him without breaking a sweat, so in any case the matter was closed for good, was it not?

"Don't worry. I've handled him alright. Knocked him out," Wally assured. "I thought I'll take him all the way to the CCPD, but when I dragged him outside the museum I saw a fire in the end of the block. I couldn't decide what to do, but then a police car wheeled in. And an officer waived at me, so I left Cold with her and ran to help the firemen. They said it might have been arson by the way, but thankfully no one was hurt. And then I called y-..."

"Wait, wait!" Cisco interjected.

* * *

TBC

Thank you for being patient and waiting for me to update!

So yes! Now Wally has to act as the Flash! _temporarily_?

I've made a detailed outline of what I want to make of this fic, so it won't be closely following the events of E21 and up. In fact I made a point of not watching new episodes yet – so that they won't interfere with my plot.

One thing I can tell you, Captain Cold will play the decisive role in this fic, and we'll see Barry (probably), but to get there I need to tee up the stage with the help of some of the supporting characters. So I hope you're not set against getting a bit more pieces in, say, Cisco's perspective.


	3. Chapter 3

Len woke up with a start. He sat up. Something around his wrists clunked in a very familiar way, which promised nothing good. He looked down to confirm his assumption - he had handcuffs around his wrists. And that was not all. He was in the back of a police car. Behind the mesh cage he could see a female officer, seating in the front seat. His coming to was not left unnoticed. She demonstratively set her police hat straight and spoke.

"You have the right to plead the fifth," the officer informed him solemnly.

He just sat there staring down into his lap. The silence lingered. He had nothing to say. And he always had a comeback or a witty remark to offer. But this turn of events had left him truly speechless for once.

"But, you know," the officer quickly added in a somewhat playful tone. "I really want to hear what's happened."

Len glared, knowing that the officer could see him in the back mirror.

He touched his chest, carefully pressing his fingers along his ribs, winching a bit as he did the procedure. Nothing seemed to be broken, but he should expect to see some bruises, he concluded.

"He did a job on you, didn't he? C'mon, tell me," the officer insisted.

She turned around in her seat to get a better look at Leonard. Her long chestnut locks bounced as she took off her police hat. Her look was piercing.

Len knew he will not be able to keep ignoring her forever. Unfortunately, he did not know how to answer her question either.

How could he tell her anything about his meeting with the Flash, when he did not meet the Flash. Well, not the Flash he knew, not his Flash. This whole situation seemed surreal, insane. Barry did not show up, and then there was this impostor. This was not making any sense. _Was Barry aware that there was another speedster, calling himself the Flash? Did he agree to that? Where was Barry?_

" _He_ didn't do anything," he replied at last. " _He_ wasn't there."

"I don't understand, Lenny." The officer cocked an eyebrow, confused. "I've seen him standing on the top stair and then he did that red blur thing and dropped you at my feet like a sack of potatoes. He didn't even stop to say 'hello' and I was worried he'll see my face under this stupid hat all for nothing."

"That. was. not. _him_." Len repeated with force.

"You can't be serious! Then who the hell's running in the Flash's suit, and I mean he did hand you over to me, thinking I was the police, so he's like fighting the crime too... What's going on?"

"I don't know, sis."

Len leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. He did not have any plausible explanation for this situation. And this fact did not sit well with him. _How can this be?_

He was safely back to his original timeline, everything was supposed to be all right, at least for the time being, at least at present, _so why?_ He did not understand. Something or someone had messed up with the timeline? But if that was the case, Rip would have known and warned him.

Indeed this was his reality, something must have happened while he was away. But that did not mean that he could not do something about it now. He just had to know what he was dealing with. Then he will act.

"I have to figure out what happened to him."

"You sure it's our business?"

"I... we'll talk later. Mick's waiting, let's pick him up, and then we lose this car," Len gave directions, brushing off his sister's question.

"Aye, aye, captain," Lisa taunted, starting the engine.

"Why am I cuffed anyway," Len asked to change the subject.

"You know, how it's important to get into character," Lisa chuckled. "I wanted it to look realistic. Take it as an opportunity to sharpen your skills. I'll count down to ten and you try to pick the lock."

"Don't bother, I'm done," Len waived his freed hands at her.

He appreciated the gesture, but did not really need any additional practice. Lock picking came to him so naturally that he could not imagine ever getting rusty. Even 25 years in the future he would still be able to ace modern security systems on his first try - he tested. Never the less, having to break out from Iron Heights would have been a problem. The task itself was most certainly accomplishable - as he had successfully proven before - but still it would have restricted his freedom for a while, hindering his other plans. Besides it would have been a huge waste of his perfectly clean record, which of course was nonexistent only de jure thanks to Barry physically destroying all his files and pieces of evidence. Human memory was a totally different matter. So it was wise to avoid showing up in the CCPD, where he would be promptly recognized as Captain Cold and reminded of all of his 'deeds of valour'. He was pleased with himself for having an emergency escape plan prepared. Which reminded him...

"Thanks for getting me out, sis."

"Don't mention it, we'll always have you back, Lenny." Lisa gave him a small smile. "Although, I suspect that on this one Mick rooted for the plan A to wrong, so he'll have a chance to burn things".

"I wouldn't be surprised". Len replied, letting himself smile too.

He felt calmer now, concentrated - more like his usual self. His sister's presence always helped him relax, but at the same time it also allowed him to collect his thoughts and focus on his next move. That was exactly what he was going to do now, think of what he should do next, if he at all should do something.

* * *

"Her? The officer was a she?" Cisco asked, suspicion clear in his voice. "And she was the first one there and alone?"

"Mm, yes. So?" Wally shrugged.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Cisco exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"Something's wrong?"

"Quite likely, yes! I don't know for sure, but if that's how I think it is, yeah, I guess. Oh, maaan..." Cisco rambled.

Even without seeing him Wally could tell that right now the other was creasing his eyebrows in concern.

"It's just too convenient, you see. The fire and the officer, it's like a back-up escape plan," Cisco explained.

"How'd you even arrange that! And the timing!" Wally asked with doubt.

"Unfortunately, that's exactly how he does things - thoroughly," Cisco stated somewhat sad.

Wally did not like the idea of playing right into the hands of some petty criminal. Especially when they somehow managed to fool him like that. This scheme was done annoyingly smooth. He grunted.

"This Cold guy can really cook up something like that?"

"Oh, you bet..." Cisco replied without a hint of hesitation.

"So..." Wally paused. "You mean to say that the officer I've handed him over to was his crony? And they what? went back in to steal whatever they were after as soon as I've ran to the fire site? which was also their doing?! Oh, c'mon! give me a break." Wally covered his face with his hands in a gesture of exasperation. This criminal was giving him a headache.

"Pretty much, yeah." Cisco confirmed, heaving a sigh.

"I already hate this guy!" Wally was indignant.

"You've never faced him before, so it's not your fault. He's played us too, on multiple occasions," Cisco offered, trying to console Wally a bit. "Anyway, get back to S.T.A.R., we'll figure something out".

"Isn't it a bit too late?"

"I wish", Cisco replied weakly. "It's just a hunch, but I feel like we're going to hear from him again. Soon."


	4. Chapter 4

_My name is Barry Allen. And once I was the fastest man alive. An accident gave me super speed. With the help of my family and friends from S.T.A.R. Labs I was able to embrace my powers and become a hero known as the Flash. I did my best to protect Central City, but I've failed to realize one simple truth – my powers were a double edged sword. For every person I've saved there were people whom I've put in danger. Although I was called a hero, my very existence has become the reason that opened the city and its citizens to new threats._

 _I was reminded of that fact when I went back in time and risked everything to try to save my mother. I was going to sacrifice my present life, my relationships, all that I held dear – change the whole time line just to rescue one person. No one would stop me, so I almost did go through with it. But, changing millions of lives, erasing them even… that should not have been my choice to make. Yet for a moment I felt selfish enough to think that I was entitled to it. Just because I was a hero I deemed that the World was indebted to me. Selfish… And wrong, especially when nothing stops you from abusing your power to collect that supposed debt._

 _As I think back it was always a race with fate to tip the scales in my favor. I would be so caught up in my new life as a hero that helping someone was all that mattered. I wouldn't keep a precise score of course, but somehow as long as it felt like I've saved more people than I've put in danger, I could easily justify my actions. I should've known better. I'm a forensic scientist too, you know. So it's a shame that for so long I couldn't connect the dots and see the whole picture and the true cause behind the recent major tragedies that had befallen Central City._

 _Everything has changed when I met Zoom. Suddenly it has become all too clear not to notice. I - the Flash - was the cause of misfortune for Central City. The symbol that I've become, my powers they were a beacon that attracted villains to the city. To challenge me, to rob me of my powers._

 _I never stopped being selfish. So, even when I had a chance to let go of my powers and once more become an ordinary person, time and time again I've decided to keep my powers and to continue being the Flash. I'd like to say that I've made this choice out of the sense of duty – after all what real hero could bear the thought of quitting saving people. However, that wasn't the only reason. I simply feared to lose control over my own fate, become helpless. I couldn't help thinking that I'd rather be a danger to the people around me, but at the same time be able to protect them, rather than become completely powerless. I may be putting someone at risk, but I will always be there to save every last one of them no matter what. That is what I kept telling myself. I sincerely believed that I was capable of fulfilling this promise too._

 _If I'm to make an excuse, I could say that for me being a hero was never solely about saving the innocent. There are the villains too, and you can't leave them out of the picture. However naïve it may sound, not all of them are irredeemably evil, they do have their reasons. I opt to believe that my encounters with them mean something. I'm sure, the Flash can be more than just a force to stop them, but also someone who can get through to them. Most people have something good in them. If I tried hard enough, I might be even able to persuade them to change their ways. It is always worth a try._

 _Sometimes people who are accused are no villains at all. To err is human. But when the Law is blind, small but crucial details tend to be ignored, and good men end up in prison for the crimes they did not commit. Like my dad. No one believed a kid eyewitness. No one wanted to hold space for the impossible; they just went with the simpler theory of an abusive father._

 _The Flash, however, is himself the impossible, so he won't make the same mistake, he will always be willing to believe in people, willing to listen, and get to the bottom of things. If to unveil the truth he has to believe in the impossible, he will do just that without a second thought._

 _I decided to become the Flash, because I wanted real justice for my dad. I wanted to make a difference, so I've vowed to help people._

 _Now, of course, it is too late for this kind of promises. I am no longer a protector of Central City. I'm not even there anymore. The fact is, I don't know, where I am. Well, maybe that's not quite accurate. I have an idea what this place, this dimension might be. My guess is, I'm inside the Speed Force. The mysterious source of the Flash's power. This notion, however, doesn't change the fact that I'm terribly lost. Drifting through this foreign dimension with no means to return to the real World. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure that I'm still alive. I don't like thinking too much about this, though. It's too weird really and terrifying._

 _This place is nowhere – an abyss of pure energy, and I'm travelling through its tremulous shimmering mass with no real sense of direction. I'm scared, because it's so easy to let your body dissolve in the flow and lose all sense of self._

 _This place is everywhere. I strain to remember who I am, and the Speed Force lets me see it. Visions from my memory, but also the things I could've never seen myself – scenes from distant past, glimpses of the future, and most importantly fragments of other people's lives._

 _A multitude of thin barely visible strings that connect me to other people, pull me toward them. These people are no strangers; I can feel that one way or another I am connected to all of them. Maybe they can help me._

 _The strings beam with yellowish light, inviting me to trace them to reach the person on the other end. Like the clew from that one Greek myth, they promise to help me and lead the way out of this labyrinth. But that's a trick._

 _When I reach out to grasp one of the strings, it gets taunt and white-hot, shinning like a streak of lightning. My fingers are numbed. I feel a tingling sensation of electricity coursing through my body. It's like this lightning is feeding on my energy, using it as fuel._

 _My only chance to escape is to ride on this lightning. But I hesitate. I'm afraid. If my connection isn't strong enough, if the person on the other end won't be able to become my lightning rod will the line snap and will the Speed Force pull me back in? How many tries will I have before it saps all my strength and I cease to exist?_

 _I have to make my mind soon. While I am still me. Before it's too late._

 _I might not succeed, but at least it will be like a good-bye tour. As I fade away I will be able to see the people important to me one last time. This is worth a try._

* * *

TBC

As always thanks for the wait!

I was planning something else for Ch4, but as many of you have been wondering about Barry I thought that I'll have him make an appearance a little bit earlier in the story. :)

Sorry for the first person pov, I hope it wasn't an eyesore :P but that's my idea of relaing a first-hand experience of what being inside the Speed Force might _feel_ like.

Back to S.T.A.R. Labs team and Snart in the next chapter~


End file.
